IPL 8 Qualifier 2, CSK vs RCB: Chennai Super Kings beat Royal Challengers Bangalore, to face Mumbai Indians in final

Ranchi: A clinical Chennai Super Kings on Friday defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore by three wickets in a nail-biting second qualifier to sail into the final of the Indian Premier League cricket tournament, here today, making it a record sixth appearance in eight editions of the event.

CSK rode on veteran Mike Hussey's 56 off 46 balls to chase down the modest 140-run target with just one ball to spare.

Opening the batting, Hussey, the Mr. Cricket who will be 40 in another five days, anchored the CSK innings with his vast experience and decorated his knock with three boundaries and two sixes.

CSK will now face Mumbai Indians in the summit clash of the tournament in Kolkata on Sunday.

Earlier, left-arm pacer Ashsih Nehra shone with the ball as Chennai Super Kings produced a fine bowling display to restrict Royal Challengers Bangalore to a modest 139 for eight in the second qualifier of the Indian Premier League, here on Friday.

Nehra (3/28) picked up three crucial wickets to dismantle RCB's innings. He was ably supported by Ravichandran Ashwin (1/13), Mohit Sharma (1/22), Dwayne Bravo (1/21) and Suresh Raina (1/36).

Chris Gayle top-scored for RCB with a unfamiliar 41 off 43 balls which was studded with two fours and three sixes.

Young Sarfaraz Khan (31 off 21 balls) played short little cameo towards the end to give RCB bowlers something to defend.

Dinesh Karthik (28 off 26) also played a good hand but just when his team need him, the wicket-keeper batsman perished in search of quick runs.

Sent into bat, Gayle and skipper Virat Kohli made a steady start to RCB's innings on a slow and difficult pitch.

Gayle smashed Nehra for a six in the second ball off the innings to make his intentions clear.

In his next over, Nehra once again was at the receiving end, this time Kohli smacked the left-arm pacer for a four and six in consecutive balls.

But Nehra had the last laugh as he struck twice in his next over to rattle RCB's innings.

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First Nehra removed Kohli, who flicked the first delivery off the fifth over straight to Mohit at short fine leg and then four balls later he dismissed in-form AB de Villiers.

The South African was adjudged LBW after he missed an inswinger that struck his back pad but TV replays showed the ball pitched just outside the leg stump.

The twin blow dealt a severe blow to RCB's innings as even big-hitting Gayle found it difficult to rotate the scoreboard, leave aside hitting big shots.

Last match's half-centurion Mandeep Singh failed to rescue his side today and was the next to depart, caught by Michael Hussey off Ashwin as RCB slumped to 36 for three.

That's a 39-year-old on the fielding going full stretch - @ChennaiIPL #CSK #IPL https://t.co/1HNXzMt7mU

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 22, 2015

In a real spot of bother, Gayle and new man in Karthik joined hands and tried to ressurect RCB's innings with a 46-run fourth wicket stand. The duo found runs hard to come by but stuck in there and waited for their opportunity.

After a lull of few overs, Karthik finally opened up, hitting Raina for back-to-back fours in the 12th over.

Gayle was not to be left behind as he struck Raina for consecutive sixes in his next over. But Raina took his revenge a ball later when the West Indian top-edged a pull shot straight to the bowler while going for too many big shots.

But Sarfaraz was not to be bogged down as he welcomed Ravindra Jadeja with conesecutive fours in the 16th over.

In the next over Karthik was holed out at the deep by Mohit as Nehra picked up his third scalp of the day.

Sarfaraz then used his long handle to pick up a few boundaries while David Wiese (12) failed to capitalise on a life as RCB finished on 139.

Chasing the modest score, CSK started on a bright note with Dwayne Smith racing off to 17 off just 11 balls with the help of three boundaries.

But just when he was looking dangerous Smith departed in the first ball of the fourth over, caught by Mitchell Starc off Sreenath Aravind as the batsman went for a short-arm pull.

It could have been double blow for CSK in the next delivery had Gayle not dropped new man Faf du Plessis at the first slip.

After Du Plessis, it was time for Hussey to get a life as wicket-keeper Dinesh Karthik fumbled a sharp outside edge off David Wiese's bowling in the seventh over.
Even though ground fielding disappointed the side, RCB bowlers did their best to keep CSK in check by maintaining some tight line and length.

While CSK lost their previous game, they opted to stick with the same playing XI. RCB, too maintained the same team that outplayed Rajasthan Royals in the Eliminator.

CSK XI: DR Smith, M Hussey, S Raina, F du Plessis, DJ Bravo, MS Dhoni, R Jadeja, P Negi, A Nehra, R Ashwin, M Sharma

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 22, 2015

RCB XI: V Kohli, C Gayle, AB de Villiers, D Karthik, M Singh, S Khan, D Wiese, M Starc, H Patel, S Arvind, Y Chahal

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 22, 2015

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Scorecard:

Royal Challengers Bangalore: C. Gayle c&b Raina 41, V. Kohli c Sharma b Nehra 12, AB de Villiers lbw b Nehra 1, Mandeep Singh c Hussey b Ashwin 4, D. Karthik c Sharma b Nehra 28, S. Khan c Negi b Bravo 31, D. Wiese c Bravo b Sharma 12, H. Patel run out (Dhoni) 2, M. Starc (not out) 1, S. Aravind (not out) 0. Extras (lb 2, w 5) 7. Total (for eight wickets in 20 overs) 139. FoW: 1-23, 2-25, 3-36, 4-80, 5-107, 6-125, 7-138, 8-139.
Bowling: Nehra 4-0-28-3, Ashwin 4-0-13-1, Sharma 4-0-22-1, Raina 3-0-36-1, Bravo 3-0-21-1, Negi 1-0-4-0, Jadeja 1-0-13-0.

Chennai Super Kings: D. Smith c Starc b Aravind 17, M. Hussey c Patel b Wiese 56, F du Plessis b Chahal 21, S. Raina c Wiese b Chahal 0, M.S. Dhoni c D. Karthik b H. Patel 26, P. Negi (run out) S. Khan 12, D. Bravo b M. Starc 0, R. Jadeja (not out) 0, R. Ashwin (not out) 1. Extras (b-3, lb-1, w-3) 7. Total (for seven wickets in 19.5 overs) 140.
Fow: 1-21, 2-61, 3-61, 4-108, 5-135, 6-135, 7-139.
Bowling: M. Starc 4-0-27-1, S. Aravind 4-0-25-1, H. Patel 3.5-0-26-1, D. Wiese 4-0-30-1, Y. Chahal 4-0-28-2.